Pregnant Women Are at Risk of Falling

Summary: A study that seeks to heighten awareness of the fact that pregnant women are at greater risk of falling finds that slippery floors and stairs are the most common hazards.

If your pregnant self is feeling a bit klutzy, it's no wonder, says a recent study. According to research, expectant mothers are more likely to fall than other women their age. In fact, they are as likely to stumble as folks in their 70s.

Because falls are the most common cause of minor injury during pregnancy and are estimated to cause 17 to 39 percent of trauma associated with emergency department visits, researchers at the University of Cincinnati thought it time to better define the risk and sought out 4,000 new mothers to find out about their fall histories during pregnancy.

Women were asked: ''During this last pregnancy, did you experience any loss of balance, resulting in a fall where some part of your body — other than your feet — touched the ground?'' Follow-up questions included types of shoes worn, flooring surfaces, activity of the moment, to better ascertain the risk factors.

Of the nearly 4,000 participants, 1,070 reported falling at least once (27 percent) during their pregnancy. Of those 1,070, 35 percent fell two or more times, 20 percent sought medical care, and 21 percent had two or more days of restricted activity. Almost two-thirds (61 percent) fell during gestational months six through eight with month seven being the worst Women ages 20 to 24 years were almost twice as likely to have fallen than those over 35 years. The falls happened indoors (56 percent), on stairs (39 percent), and from heights of more than three feet (9 percent).

There's good reason why expectant mothers may be a bit clumsy. Physiological changes during pregnancy significantly increase the risk of fall and injury. The protruding abdomen and loosening of pelvic ligaments cause a woman's center of gravity to shift and results in progressive lordosis of the spine. These changes cause a woman to continually readjust her body alignment and balance, which result in a risk for falls and injury.

With this in mind and based on the results of the study, the authors offer these tips: Avoid slippery floors. When walking on stairs, hold on to the rail and and do not carry items or children. Wear shoes that are flat, rubber soled, and not loose. Try not to hurry. Be careful when carrying children, walking on unlevel surfaces (e.g. grass) or when performing any activity that obstructs your view. Common sense tips to be sure, but ones we would all do well to remember.

B.C. (before children), Carolyn was trained as a journalist — a generalist journalist. Now as a parent, she experiences news differently. What was once an item of passing interest, i.e. "Toy Train Runs on Lead Paint" or "Midnight Release Planned for Latest Power Rangers Movie" now consumes her life. Still she trains her eye to find the family relevance in everything new, and that's what she endeavors to share with you here. As a parent, and a writer for What to Expect, she will be your family-news filter (with a personal twist).